14-year-old medical student wins scholarship to cover tuition fees

Gifted student Ho Hoi-lam has been awarded a newly-established scholarship to cover her six years' tuition fees at Chinese University's medical school.

The 14-year-old said the HK$200,000 gift would ease her family's financial burden.

'I am very happy. The money is a great help to our family,' she said, adding she would spend most of it on tuition fees and textbooks.

The medical student was admitted to the university last September as an associate degree student after finishing Form Five at Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Lo Kon Ting Memorial College in Yuen Long.

She scored outstanding results in the Certificate of Education Examinations, taken three years early, achieving eight A grades, a Level 5* in Chinese and a Level 5 in English.

She said that although she was settling into university life well, she had to spend time catching up on studies she missed by skipping Forms Six and Seven.

'At night I go through Form Six and Seven textbooks to fill the gap,' she said.

'In the second semester I will take some liberal studies subjects such as Chinese history and culture.'

Hoi-lam, who has joined a university magazine's editorial team, said she also wanted to try her hand at writing to broaden her experience.

Scholarship sponsor Richard Yu Yue-hong, who is an honorary professor of the university's department of medicine and therapeutics, said the faculty awarded the money to Hoi-lam because of her academic performance and enthusiasm.

'Hoi-lam has a high level of commitment. She deserves this support.'

Another student to receive a scholarship was wheelchair-bound Lui Wai-cheung. The award covers her five years' tuition fees.

The first-year medical student wants to become the city's first wheelchair-bound doctor.

'I have done some research on the internet to look at how wheelchair-bound doctors carry out treatment with patients but they are not common. I asked a wheelchair-bound physiotherapist to teach me some skills,' she said.